Android Q: name, release and new features

A dark system-wide theme has been denied Android users so far. Instead, users have to use the launcher and hope that apps also support the most energy-efficient and eye-friendly mode. But for Android Q, a system-wide dark fashion could eliminate the patchwork on Android.

Android Q: release in summer, preview in spring, name in between

If Google is aiming for a similar schedule as last year, we can expect in March 2019 with a first Developer Preview of Android Q. The stable version should roll out for Android One devices and Google Pixel smartphones then around August. At some point before that, the name and mascot will be revealed.

Dark Fashion

Anyone who has ever used an app or launcher with Dark Mode will not miss it anymore. Unfortunately, there is still no system-wide and thus also an app-comprehensive way to use a light font on a dark background. Thus, it is currently on Android still so that happily jumps between dark and light theme back and forth. Even Google cannot decide and offers the same mode for YouTube and Google News, but not for Google Photos and the Assistant.

The Dark Mode should bring an improved battery life, especially with smartphones with an OLED panel. More and more smartphones appeared in the past year with OLEDs and the trend is not tearing this year.

An indirect confirmation from Google AndroidPolice now wants to have discovered in Bug Tracker from Chromium. There the product manager Lukasz Zbylut writes the following:

Dark Mode is an approved Q feature. The Q team wants to make it possible for all pre-installed apps to support dark mode from the beginning. To successfully integrate Dark Mode, it is necessary that all UI elements ideally have a dark background by May 2019.

Meanwhile, its entry has been set to private, so this is now interpreted as further confirmation. Maybe we will see in one of the first developer versions of Android Q the implementation of a system-wide dark mode.

Rich Communication Services for third-party apps

Whereas RCS messages were previously reserved only for provider apps and the Google App Messages, this could change with Android Q. 9to5Google wants to have discovered a commit that opens an RCS interface for third-party apps. More about RCS we discuss in the separate article:

Kyle came to the HTC Hero almost 8 years ago on the Android flavor and writes since July 2018 for Droid9to5. After trying out numerous Android ROMs and a few months with the iPhone, he is currently back to pure Android.